Henry VIII of Germany

Henry VIII of Germany (1260-27 December 1312) was Holy Roman Emperor from 24 to 27 December 1312, succeeding Henry VII of Germany and preceding William II. Henry was the shortest-lasting ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, dying of the plague at 52 years of age after just three days of ruling.

Biography
Henry was born in Havel, Margraviate of Brandenburg, Holy Roman Empire in 1260, the son of Margrave John I of Brandenburg. He belonged to the House of Ascania, which ruled over Saxony and Brandenburg, and his family possessed a large amount of lands in northeastern Germany. Due to his influence in politics, he was elected as Holy Roman Emperor by the Imperial Diet following the death of Henry VII of Germany from the plague. Henry VIII's reign was extremely short, as he was already ill with the dreaded plague. After just three days, Emperor Henry VIII died of the disease, and William d'Avesnes of Holland was elected the new emperor.